Effects of anticipated costs and benefits on help-seeking intentions: University students

Abstract

The present research investigated impacts of anticipated costs and benefits of seeking and avoiding help on university students' help-seeking intentions toward their friends. In Study 1, a scale to measure anticipated costs and benefits of seeking and avoiding help was developed, and the scale was confirmed to be sufficiently reliable and valid. In Study 2, university students (267 males, 436 females) completed a questionnaire. The results of structural equation modeling indicated that (a) both the anticipated benefits of seeking help and the anticipated costs and benefits of avoiding help influenced help-seeking intentions, and (b) some of the costs and benefits mediated the effects of social support and depressive symptoms on help-seeking intentions.